Why Do Stink Bugs Stink?

Learn why stink bugs release a foul odor in Wisconsin - Batzner Pest Control

Stink bugs weren’t given their name for no reason. Just as you might expect, these little insects are known for the foul odor they release when they are threatened or crushed. But where does that stench come from, and what exactly does it smell like? For the most part, this odor is a defense mechanism used to deter predators when they feel injured or in danger. The smell is also known to linger for hours! Read on to learn why stink bugs release this odor.

How Do Stink Bugs Produce Their Odor?

Whenever they feel threatened—or are crushed or injured—stink bugs release a strong, odorous deterrent from a body gland in their abdomen. Much like a skunk’s defense mechanism, stink bugs will only use this function from time to time. The scent itself is a mixture of chemicals that is released through the exoskeleton. The odor is spread through the air and has been known to linger for a long time, which is why you should never crush one of these bugs when you see one!

Are Stink Bugs Dangerous?

These bugs are certainly smelly, but do they cause any harm? Even though these stink bugs are everywhere in the fall, they are not known to bite or attack people. Some of the things to know about the threat of stink bugs include:

  • The odor they release will not harm anyone and only occasionally causes mild irritation or agitation when the liquid gets on a human.
  • While they don’t pose any immediate threat to humans, stink bugs can still be dangerous when infestations get out of hand.
  • They don’t typically cause structural damage, but will invade homes in large numbers.
  • Additionally, they are a huge nuisance in the agriculture industry because they feed on fruit and vegetables.

How to Prevent Stink Bugs

In the fall months as the weather cools down, stink bugs begin to search for warm spots inside buildings to overwinter. The best way to prevent these smelly insects from getting inside is to safeguard your home. Inspect your property for cracks and crevices that would allow them in and fix any problems in the foundation of your home. If you need help protecting your home from stink bugs or if you have noticed them inside your home, it’s time to call a professional such as Batzner!

What to Do Once You Know You Have an Ant Problem

Learn what to do once you have an ant problem in Wisconsin - Batzner Pest Control serving New Berlin, Madison, Oshkosh, Racine, Green Bay and surrounding areas

If you’ve ever experienced an ant problem, you know how frustrating and seemingly never-ending they can be. Seeing just a few ants here and there can quickly turn to hundreds or even thousands—overnight! Ant infestations are overwhelming for any property owner, which is why it’s important to know what to do as soon as you suspect you have an ant issue looming. Bottom line, completely getting rid of ants often requires the help of a professional pest control company with experience controlling current infestations and preventing future ones.

Signs of an Ant Infestation

Just seeing a couple of ants every few days is a pretty normal occurrence for any property owner. So how do you know when you have an infestation on your hands? There are several things to look out for when it comes to dealing with ants:

  1. Ant trails: Worker ants will lay down a pheromone in their trail to a food source in order to lead other ants to the food.
  2. Ant mounds or nests: The appearance of nests can vary between species, but generally look like small piles of soil or dirt.
  3. A never-ending population: If you’re noticing more and more ants each day, it’s likely their colony has spread.

How to Get Rid of Ants

There’s a reason why ants are so dreaded by homeowners—they’re infamously hard to get rid of! Although there are a number of DIY solutions to ant problems, they work best for prevention methods only. Once ants establish a colony inside your home or business, they can quickly grow and easily resist any store-bought products you may use in an attempt to defeat them. For this reason, a professional is needed to treat ants. While you’re waiting for help, you can help reduce the conditions that encourage ant populations to grow by keeping a tidy home, wiping up spills, picking up pet food, and more.

Professional Help for Ant Problems

Your best bet at stopping an ant issue in its tracks is to call a professional pest control company as soon as you start noticing more and more ants in your property. A licensed technician will be able to identify the species you’re dealing with before administering effective, long-lasting solutions to resolve your ant problem for good. Contact the expert team at Batzner Pest Control for ant solutions you can count on.

Rodent Awareness Week Brings Focus to Rodent Prevention

Rodent Awareness Week at Batzner Pest Control - Rodent control services by Batzner Pest Control serving Southeastern Wisconsin

Rodent infestations become a major problem in Wisconsin in fall and winter.

What makes rodent infestations so dangerous?

Rodents pose a number of health risks to you and your family. The spread of food-borne illnesses like Salmonella is probably the most alarming, as rodents contaminate surfaces throughout the house and will look to get into your kitchen cabinets and food prep areas. Their skin, saliva, and urine can also aggravate allergy symptoms.

In addition to spreading disease, bacteria, and allergens, rodents can cause electrical fires by gnawing through your home’s wiring. All of the problems associated with rodent infestations are amplified by how quickly they reproduce. A few mice in your attic can turn into a full-blown infestation in a very short period of time – each female mouse can give birth to between six and eight offspring every three weeks!

What should homeowners look out for?

Because of the potential dangers and the speed at which they can occur, homeowners need to be extremely vigilant when preparing their homes for the fall and winter. Here are some tips from the NPMA on how to rodent-proof your home this year:

  • Use weather strips on doorways and windows
  • Replace broken windows
  • Caulk around utility/service pipes
  • Repair openings in the building’s foundation
  • Screen all vents
  • Seal additional small cracks with copper mesh (steel wool will rust and deteriorate over time).
  • Around the house exterior, rake away any weeds or shrubbery as they provide safe passage to pests
  • Mulch, in particular, should not be used near the foundation, and any overhanging tree branches need to be cut down
  • Do not store firewood within the immediate vicinity of the house

Once these preventative measures have been taken, the NPMA advises being on the lookout for these indicators of rodent infestation:

  • Droppings: Droppings are typically found in kitchen cabinets and pantries, along walls, on top of wall studs or beams, and in boxes, bags and old furniture.
  • Noises: Rodents often make scurrying sounds, especially at night, as they move about and nest.
  • Gnaw marks: New gnaw marks tend to be rough to touch and are light colored.
  • Burrows: Inside, rodents often nest in various materials such as insulation, and are drawn to dark and secluded areas.
  • Damaged food packages: House mice prefer to feed on cereals and seeds, while Norway rats prefer meat, fish and dry dog food.

If any of these signs of rodents are found, contact us immediately! Remember, a small issue will become a major problem in a short amount of time. You can reach us at (262)797-4160 or on our website.

Why am I seeing Asian Lady Beetles and Boxelder Bugs in Spring?

Around this time every year, we start seeing an increase of phone calls and website submissions regarding Asian Lady Beetles and Boxelder Bugs. While these little guys cause no harm to you or your house, that doesn’t mean they are welcomed with open arms. There’s a reason they start showing up around this time of year inside your house, and honestly, they’re kind of just lost.

If preventative measures were not taken in the fall to help protect against these guys, they will likely start showing up in your house around this time of year. You will especially find them in rooms that have the most sun exposure. Dave Kusnierek, District Service Manager and Certified Entomologist, explains, “In the Fall, Asian Lady Beetles and Boxelder Bugs land on the sunny sides of your house and then make their way into the walls and window casings via any cracks or crevices they can find. They hang out there until the sun warms the structures they are within causing them to ‘wake up’ and start wandering around. This is when you will likely start seeing them in your living room because, between the two choices of inside or outside, your house is looking much cozier in spring.”

Successful treatment for these pests is performed in Fall. In winter or early spring when they start appearing in large numbers within your home, reduction services can be performed. Residential Service Consultant, Katrina Jaehnert, explains, “This is done in the interior to help alleviate activity levels within the home. It is important to note that this will not eliminate them completely. Once Asian Lady Beetles and Boxelder Bugs settle in the cracks of your home, there’s not too much you can do, but we will recommend that you are set up for preventative treatment in the Fall to prevent this from reoccurring the following year.” Treatment for Asian Lady Beetles and Boxelder bugs is included in Batzner’s pestfree365 program, among other pests. For more information, call our office at 866-591-3519 or get a free estimate online today.

Bed Bug Facts and Information for Prevention

Bed Bugs are a very real problem in the United States. According to a survey conducted by the National Pest Management Association, 1 in 5 Americans has had a bed bug infestation in their home or knows someone who has.

In the pest control industry, we answer countless questions about bed bugs and consider ourselves “myth busters” when it comes to the tiny, blood-sucking pests. Knowledge is your first line of defense. Simply knowing how to correctly identify a bed bug and its basic behaviors goes a long way in preventing an infestation.

Basic bed bugs facts:
  • Bed bugs primarily feed on humans, but they also feed on warm-blooded animals, including birds, mice and pets.
  • Adults are just under ¼” long, relatively flat and oval in shape compared to most other insects.
  • Bed bugs can lay one to five eggs per day and more than 500 in a lifetime.
  • Bed bugs can survive for several months without eating.
  • Bed bugs can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from nearly freezing to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Bed bugs draw blood for about five minutes before retreating to digest.
  • Bed bug hatchlings are so small they can pass through a stitch-hole in a mattress.

Now that you’re thoroughly disgusted, let’s move on to how you can protect yourself. While there is no 100% guaranteed way to prevent bed bugs, there are steps you can take to greatly decrease your chances of bringing them home.

It’s important to keep in mind that bed bugs can be found nearly everywhere. Hotels, movie theaters, apartment complexes, libraries, public transportation, retail stores, and even offices can all harbor bed bugs.

Quick tips to help keep you bed bug free:
  • Regularly inspect sleeping areas for signs of bed bugs such as pepper-like stains, molted bed bug skins and white, sticky eggs.
  • Never bring second-hand furniture, especially mattresses and box springs, into a home or college dorm without thoroughly examining it for signs of a bed bug infestation.
  • At hotels, thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking, including behind the headboard and in furniture. Pull back the bed sheets and check the mattress seams for pepper-like stains that may be evidence of bed bug activity. If you suspect an infestation or problem, notify management and change rooms immediately. Be sure the new room is not adjacent to or directly below or above the possibly infested room.
  • Keep suitcases in plastic trash bags or protective covers during a hotel stay to prevent bed bugs from nesting there. Do not put them on the beds.
  • Upon returning home from a trip, inspect all suitcases and other belongings before bringing them into the house.
  • Wash all clothes – even those that have not been worn – in hot water and dry them using an extra-hot dryer setting.

If you suspect or discover a bed bug problem in your home, it’s best to contact a professional right away. Attempting self-treatment can often do more harm than good.

Thank Your Dog or Cat for Noticing Pests in Walls

Some pets are natural pest control professionals you can have in your home 24/7. Their keen sense of hearing and smell can alert you to pest activity that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Cats and dogs are among the pets that get the most credit for noticing and alerting you when something isn’t quite right. Whether that means staring at walls or sniffing under couches, cats and dogs are likely to notice a pest in your home before you do.

Cats

Cats are probably the best pets for pest control because they take care of insects and rodents without any training. They are naturally inclined to watch for creatures you may not want in your home, and they have all the tools needed to eliminate the problem. Because cats notice even the slightest of movement, they are very proficient at chasing house spiders, centipedes, moths and other creepy crawlies. The chasing and eating of bugs is both fun and instinctual, as bugs are quickly moving small things and cat’s brains are programmed to chase. The innate desire to hunt and practice predatory behavior through play is still active in domestic cats. If there’s a mouse in your house, a cat will be sure to find it, and they will spend hours patiently watching and waiting until a rodent emerges. While there are perks of having 24/7 pest control in your home, beware of the diseases rodents can carry that could spread to your cats. Cats can unfortunately get fleas, ticks and other parasites from catching and eating mice.

Dogs

With their keen sense of smell and excellent hearing abilities, dogs make excellent pets for pest problems. They alert you to the presence of a pest you may not notice. Dogs are less likely to kill insects and rodents than cats are, but they will at least tell you when a problem comes up.

About two years ago, my dog, Tripp, would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night and stare off into the darkness. Comforting, I know. It took me a while to catch on, but then I heard it too – a scratching, scrapping sound coming from inside the wall which could only mean one thing…MICE.

The thing about mice is they can make a lot of noise considering their small size. Around the same time each night, I could hear them running their nightly errands. I started losing too much sleep, so I called a pest control company to help take care of the issue. They inspected the outside of my home and found that the point of entry was where the siding met the brick on the side of my house. They sealed up the small gap where the mice were sneaking through. As Training and Development Manager, Steve Counsell, always says “Batzner’s goal is to always figure out the method of entry and seal those openings. As long as there is an ‘open door’, they will keep coming in.” By quickly identifying and solving the issue, my mice problem finally went away.

If it wasn’t for the excellent hearing skills of my pup, it would have taken me a lot longer to catch on to what was going inside my walls. If your dog or cat is waking up in the middle of the night or staring at walls, he might be trying to alert you of some pests. Take a minute and listen to see if he has noticed something you haven’t. If you find out there is something unwelcome making a home inside your walls, take my advice and call Batzner at 866-591-3519 or contact us online today.

How to Spot Pest Issues When Buying a New Home

When it comes to major purchases, there’s nothing more exciting than buying a new home. The new home search is filled with plenty of decisions and “watch outs.” When touring potential homes, many home-buyers focus on cosmetic changes they want to make in their new home. However, most new home buyers rarely think about pests. Pests, such as cockroaches, mice, rats, and stinging pests, carry health risks. Other pests, such as carpenter ants, rodents, and wildlife, can cause severe and costly damage to homes. Pest problems can be lurking beneath the surface, and knowing what to look for could help you avoid expensive repairs and treatments after you’ve signed on the dotted line.

As you visit the house, make sure to inspect the interior and exterior yourself for signs of pest invasion or damage. See if the previous owner has taken common pest problem prevention steps, such as installing screens on windows and doors or keeping shrubs and tree limbs from extending to the side of the house and roof. Look for cracks in sealed areas such as floorboards and molding, holes in the back corners of storage spaces and webs in the garage and basement. While many of these issues are easily fixed, you should be aware of the level of preventative care the previous homeowner took.

According to the National Pest Management Association, at any given time, approximately 29% of American homes are experiencing a pest infestation. While the occasional insect guest can happen in any home, you may want to have more serious pest concerns resolved before you buy; some may be serious enough for you to consider not making a purchase.

Recently, a customer called Batzner because they heard a noise coming from the attic of their newly purchased home. When our Operations Manager went up into the attic to take a look, he found BIRD NESTS! It turned out that the home inspector never went up into the attic, so the nests weren’t discovered until after the new owners moved in. If you are buying a home, use a qualified home inspector or strongly consider getting a pest inspection in addition to the required inspections.

It can be difficult to spot pest issues – some pests are too small to see or live in areas that may be difficult to access. That’s why it’s important to know signs that may indicate a more serious problem.

How to spot signs of potential pest issues:

Mice, Rats and Wildlife

  • Look for mouse and rat droppings
  • Listen for scratching noises coming from under the floor, behind walls or in ceilings
  • Check for signs of rodent nests in cabinets, pantries, and behind appliances
  • Chewed or gnawed wiring may also indicate a problem with rodents or wildlife

Insects (common pests include cockroaches and ants)

  • Live or dead insects could indicate a problem
  • When outside, look for openings or gaps that insects could use access to gain entry to the home – anything larger than ¼-inch is a cause for concern
  • Ant mounds are another issue to watch for in yards
  • Bee, wasp, and hornet nests attached to the home or in the yard; look up in high trees, under overhangs on the structure, etc.

Carpenter Ants

  • Carpenter ants will look for softened wood to infest; if you notice signs of wet or moisture damaged wood, it may be a good idea to have a pest inspection done before buying
  • These pests can hollow out wood, similar to mosquitoes, which can be costly to repair
  • Carpenter ants are larger than most ants – about ¼-inch to ½-inch in size – and black in color
  • In areas where carpenter ants are active, you may notice piles of what looks like sawdust near their entry holes

Bed bugs typically aren’t an issue for new homes, but if you are purchasing a town-home or condominium unit that shares walls with neighbors, be aware that your risk of bed bug issues could increase.

If you can’t decide whether or not to purchase your dream home, call a pest professional. The local pest control experts at Batzner are here to identify any potential pest issues. Getting a professional evaluation will give you a better idea of what can be done to eliminate existing pest issues and keep your new home pest-free for a long time to come.

Batzner can do an inspection of your potential home before you buy to avoid any horrifying surprises. This could save you thousands of dollars in home damage that may go unnoticed by other inspectors. The last thing you want is to inherit someone else’s pest problems.

Where are Bed Bugs Found? 6 Places You Wouldn’t Expect to Find Bed Bugs

Bed bugs have the physique that allows them to hide under, behind, and in anything. They will typically hide within five feet of their food source, which correlates with where you spend most of your time, likely where you sleep.

Bed bugs are found in many places, not limited to any one specific type of dwelling. Infestations have been reported everywhere including single family homes, multi-family housing, apartments, hotels, hospitals, schools and college campuses, office buildings and even retail stores. Even five-star hotels and high-end clothing stores are susceptible to infestations. While there are the typical places bed bugs are found, they might be found in a few unlikely places as well, including:

  1. Movie theaters
  2. Waiting areas – doctor’s offices, government buildings, office lobbies
  3. Libraries
  4. Public Transportation – buses, taxi cabs, trains
  5. Locker rooms
  6. Airplanes

So how do they get to these unlikely places?

Steve Counsell, Training and Development Manager, explains, “Female bed bugs are the most likely to hitchhike, which causes trouble for us. If the female is pregnant, she is bringing with her a bunch of potential little bed bugs. Pregnant females will typically migrate away from the bed to unusual places throughout a room.” From here, they are likely to get picked up by accident and transported to one of the places listed above.

It is important to remember no place is a guaranteed bed bug free zone. Any place humans sit, rest or sleep gives bed bugs the opportunity to feed and multiply. In order to protect yourself as best as possible, inspect public areas before you take a seat or set down your belongings.

Get Rid of Kitchen Bugs: Ants, Beetles, Flies

The kitchen is one of the most common – and frustrating – places for homeowners to find pests. Ants, fruit flies, and pantry pests are naturally attracted to your kitchen for the same reasons people are, but you might be surprised to learn what they’re snacking on.

Thoroughly Clean All Surfaces

In many cases of kitchen insect infestations, the cause is a missed spill or crumbs rather than food being left out or improperly stored. This can create a frustrating situation for homeowners who can’t get rid of fruit flies or ants even after they have removed all food items from their countertops and cabinets. If a problem persists, then the food source still needs to be found, and that can be more difficult than moving the fruit bowl from the island to the fridge. Nick Schanz, a Batzner Pest Control Service Manager, advises, “Inspect and be prepared to thoroughly wipe down every surface in the kitchen. This includes emptying out cupboards and cabinets and pulling out the oven and refrigerator to vacuum or sweep underneath them. Any residue left behind can attract pests, so make sure you clean it all!”

Clean all Appliances Regularly

Kitchen appliances also need to be cleaned regularly. This may seem obvious for appliances that have crumbs left inside them like toasters, ovens, and microwaves, but other appliances can also be appealing for pests. For example, the coffeemaker can be an attractant for ants. Steve Counsell, Batzner’s Training and Development Manager, explains, “They’re attracted to some of the heat sources. Plus, with the kitchen, it’s a nice area for them to grab food and water is plentiful. There’s really everything they need in order to establish a colony.”

One unfortunate woman from Somers, Wisconsin experienced ants making their home in her coffeemaker. Check out her story here!

Wipe Down Bottles

One additional food source that often gets overlooked is the spillage on the outside of bottles that are kept in the pantry. Some common culprits for having residue stick around on the container are honey, syrup, oil, and peanut butter. If you are having problems finding the food source of an infestation, wipe these down along with any other containers that might be prone to residue from drips.

Removing the food source should drastically reduce the number of insects in your kitchen, but the best way to keep any pest out of your home is through a comprehensive Integrated Pest Management program from Batzner Pest Control. Contact us today to sign up for our exclusive pestfree365 program or to learn about our additional service offerings!

Prevent Bed Bugs from Coming Home from College

If your child is a college student visiting home for the weekend or moving home for the summer, you should be conscience of protecting your home from bed bugs. They hitch rides to and from campus along with your kids. College dorms and apartment complexes are hot spots for bed bugs. College housing can be prime territory for bed bug infestations to spread rapidly, and it only takes a few hitchhikers on your son or daughter’s belongings to bring that infestation into your home. If you have a child in this position, make sure they aren’t bringing any unwanted guests back with them.

Because bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers, they are easy to carry both to and from campus. Here are a few tips on bed bug prevention in college dorms and apartments:

  • Suit cases and trunks should be fully inspected for signs of bed bugs prior to using for back to school packing, especially if they were used for other travel.
  • Any secondhand or rental furniture should be inspected to ensure that it is free of any bed bugs or bed bug evidence.
  • Dorm rooms should be inspected prior to unpacking – begin with the mattress and check any additional furniture in the room, such as sofas or chairs.
  • Invest in a mattress encasement if your school doesn’t provide them. While a mattress encasement can’t stop bed bugs from getting into your dorm room, they can allow you to see bed bugs that get introduced to your room, since it prevents them from being able to hide on the mattress and box spring. Look for an encasement that promotes “bug proof” zipper locks.

Randy Rupert, Batzner’s Bed Bug Team Leader, recommends the following to prevent the transfer of bed bugs while moving. A visual inspection before packing is always necessary.

  • Look out for blood spots on linens and clothes
  • Check for fecal spotting on and inside the box spring and box spring frame
  • Inspect area around bed for shed skins, eggs, and live bugs

If you find any reason to believe that bed bugs are present, or if you just want to be extra careful:

In the Dorm
BAG EVERYTHING, especially linens, clothes, and shoes and securely tie the bag(s).

At Your Home
Leave the bags/luggage in the garage, complete the following steps before bringing anything inside (if possible)

  • Empty the bag as soon as possible
    • Put contents into the dryer right away, dry for 30 to 60 minutes on HIGH
    • Keep an eye out for black spots in seams, dust skirts, fitted sheets, and other places bed bugs like to live
  • Vacuum all the luggage, bags, etc. as well as the around the bags/luggage
  • Wash canisters and other transferring material that cannot be vacuumed
  • Wipe down hard surfaced items (laptops, TVs, etc.)

Moving day from a college campus can be a tiring, frustrating experience, but these few extra steps are very much worth the effort. Bed bugs in your home are a sure way to ruin what should be an enjoyable time with your child! If by some chance a bed bug infestation still occurs, or if you have any questions on bed bug prevention or management, don’t hesitate to call 866-591-3519 or contact us online.